AUG/SEPT BUDDIES!

[valerie68]

Babyloves: I'm starting bcp around the 13th/14th of July and will stay on that for 3 weeks and then go straight into stims without Lupron and it seems I will do the same like last time: Bravelle, Menopur and later ganirelix.
I did not respond too well to the drugs although I got pregnant, so I want to talk to my RE about changing the meds. But that's more or less my schedule.

Sounds like the 4th will be a wonderful reunion...enjoy your family and rub all the baby dust you can off of them

What is falun dafa? I've never heard about it.

I see everyone else is doing fine...I'll keep it short, it's been a long wonderful day and I'll catch up with you later.

Val

[karenvancouverisland]

hi all! well this board just gets better each day..i'll admit it takes me some time to keep straight who's who..so bear with me if i get anything mixed up. i just love coming home and signing onto my email and seeing messages that new posts are up- it's very cool.

jharris- i'm not doing AP either - not yet anyways. i did it briefly before my first IVF when my schedule was more flexible. i work weekdays, mon-fri and AP's in our smaller city are not very available. but i have a lead on some that my take saturday appt's. and thanks for sharing your story, i'd feel aggravated too about the health issues and decision making process- sometimes i wonder if these professionals realize how much we have on the line and how desperately we need absolutely everything managed the 'best' way right from the get-go.. this is not trial and error time. there's too many emotions, time, and money on the line.

i'm feeling kinda guilty- as a milk and cheese junkie....need i say more? i'm trying to walk that line of doing what i can health wise, without giving too much up. apparently i'm rethinking it though.

valerie and kate- i have a sweet cat that embarrassingly enough, i find myself sometimes holding like he's a baby! and he definately acts like one (pain in the ass at 3 am!)

kate- sounds like you had a busy time with your step daughter...hope you're relaxing now.

coco- i HATE getting AF. EVERY single F'ing time!!!! i so relate. and, on a lighter note, i live in a rainforest (vancouver isle is VERY seattle-ish), so i relate there too.

SD- thanks for joining in. it's nice to hear a success story in the making.

Sue- i'm on the folic acid. the doc who did my D/C recommended staying on my maternity vit's since i lost so much blood with the m/c.

babyloves- Welcome! and good luck with the family gathering..i dread stuff like that too, and then hate myself for being anti-social, but don't like my other choices either.
and babyloves and hoping in PA- i can't believe you'll be stimming soon! that's awesome.

so i've got my hysteroscopy booked aug 18 to clear me for another ivf in sept. the docs are calling this being 'overly cautious', as they don't expect any issues, but don't want to put me through the emotional and financial expense of another cycle if my body's not ready yet.

i haven't heard anything from my friend yet (the pregnant one i finally told about my m/c and difficulty talking to her). that makes me kinda sad. i can let my mind get away from me worrying about what she's thinking and if i said anything 'wrong' to her in that email. it's so sad that my friendships and social life have changed in ways i never imagined a couple years ago. i never thought this was going to happen to me we're passing on a camping invite this weekend cause i just don't want to deal with the questions (plus i'm not big on these people anyways). my other friends have been amazing. i got together with 2 girlfriends on the weekend (one had moved away but came to visit), and got great support. i told them the story of my miraculous ivf pregnancy and then m/c, and 1 of them that has a 14 month old cried.. i felt her support, it was nice. and talking about my (brief) pregnancy brought back HOPE again...

anyways, sorry for the long post... wishing you all lots of love, karen

[SueQiwi]

JHarris~I feel for you! I am so sorry about your first husband. You have been through so much. I was sad to read your last couple of posts as the one before your appointment you sound so hopeful and excited and then after the appointment you sound so frustrated and angry (and rightfully so!) It makes me mad that your Dr didnt just reccomend the reversal in the first place! I am angry if you have had to go through the stress and expense of IVF if that was not the best choice. I am hoping this gets sorted for you soon and you will be on your way to a BFP, via natural or IVF. Keep us posted.

BabyLoves--welcome to the group. We are an experienced bunch and can definitley help you through your first (and hopefully only!) IVF cycle.

Karen--Im glad you are back. I hope your friend replies to you soon. Im glad that you got some good support from your other girlfriends over the weekend anyway. You are an inspiration to me getting pregnant with high FSH and only 2 eggs! (even though it ended tragiclly)

Cocos--I got AF today too and felt pretty low. I was kinda hoping for a natural miracle before this next IVF! Alas.

JDC--My mind plays tricks on me too--I know where youre coming from. But please be assured that the forgotten meds were an oversight. You will make it to transfer : )

hopinginpa--so sorry about your teenage blemishes--but I am so excited you are already on the road to a BFP!

Im glad to hear you all are taking your folic acid and vitamins! I finally got in to see an herbalist today. she was super and reviewed my whole health and diet history. She is making me add breakfast to my day as I currently dont eat anything until lunch. she is also encouraging me to snack more during the day as we have a better chance of conceiving if our sugar/hunger levels are level and not spiking. By only eating 2 meals a day and not snacking I am taking my body to extremes and adding stress physically. She also said to remove any mental stress in our lives. The more balanced we are mentally and physically--the better chance for BFP! And she brewed me up a concoction of herbs to help fertility that I will be taking twice a day! It is a liquid potion i take with a spoon. She also wants me to get some bach flowers at the health food store--they are good for peace of mind and mental stress. Do you all have them in the US?

[jharris12]

Good morning ladies. Thanks again for all your support. I am really starting to think we went to the wrong clinic, even if it says they are one of the top clinics in the country. I went in yesterday to get a cup for my DH's semen sample to take in the morning, and to find out how long it takes to get back the results. After tracking down the chart, the lady up front concluded that only a SA was needed and not SCSA, so it should only take a few hours, and we set up an appt with our RE for next Tues to discuss the results. When DH dropped off the sample this morning, the lab dr he gave it to said that being on the vitamins and juice for only 2 wks was not going to make much difference, and that the results would take a week to get back. So my DH called to tell me this, I immediately called the office to ask what exactly was going on. I spoke with the same lady I talked to yesterday and told her this was stressful enough without knowing what was going on. She said she would run back there at once and investigate and determine what was going on, and for me to call her back later. I mean is there no communication there? AF should start around the end of this week, and I will start BCP's day 2 of AF. The RE said to go ahead and start them even though we don't know if we are doing IVF or reversal. I am almost to the point that I say lets just try IVF again this time and go from there! I don't like not knowing. I guess its back to waiting to see what she says when I call back.

SueQiwi: Thank you for being angry along with me. I was so hopeful. It really seemed like things were going to go smooth. Hopefully they stilll will. I'm trying not to let this stress me out because I know thats not good for me. So it sounds like your herbalist is going to get you all set up to be as heathly as you can be! I've never heard of bach flowers, but if she thinks they will help!!! Good luck!

karen: Don't feel too guilty about the milk and cheese thing. I eat cold cereal with milk almost every morning, drink creamer in my coffee, love macaroni and cheese, and chicken with cheese biscuits. I haven't cut them out either! Sorry you haven't heard from your friend. Hopefully she will sort herself out and get in touch with you. We have passed on trips as well for this, so I know how it feels. At lest you have a couple wonderful friends there for support!

valerie: If I get to do IVF again, I will not be using Lupron at all either. He will have me on an antagon (?) cycle. I will start BCP's day 2 of AF, take them for 2 weeks, stop them and will get another AF within a couple days, then straight to stims, and looks like I will be taking Gonal-f and low-dose ovidrel, then adding ganirelix before triggering. Much shorter cycle than my last! So we should have similar cycles, if I cycle!!

babyloves: GOod luck with the get together. Enjoy the children and get used to them being around. It will prepare you for when its your turn! I've never heard of falun dafa, but good luck with that and yoga!

JDC: Sounds like several of us are skipping Lupron this go round! Hope you enjoyed your lazy evening.

cocos: Thanks for your words. It was hard to get through, but I made it, and found a wonderful man to help me through. And there's nothing wrong with talking about the weather! Feel free to talk about whatever you want. We all love to listen!

Hope you all have a fantastic day! I will check in with you later!

[valerie68]

jharris: Man do I feel your frustration! There's nothing worse than not knowing!! I feel that since you were so confident, perhaps doing another ivf this time is the way to go. I don't think the nurses really understand what we're going through, the fact that we like to take out as much uncertainty out of this situation as possible, that it is such an emotional experience and that we need all our concentration on staying positive and believing 100% in this process. I think many fail to feel what we feel.

So jharris, I'm so sorry you have to be dealing with this now. Maybe sit down with DH and talk about what you feel in your heart and what is the right thing to do. Because it is best for you to feel that you're doing the right thing and go into it feeling great! If you are uncertain still by the time you should start stims, maybe it's best to wait another month and go into it relaxed.

Have a good day and make the best of it!

Hugs

Val

[Kate21]

Afternoon Ladies!

JHarris - I feel for you, I really do. I definitely support what Valerie says tho, speak to DH and go with what is best for you both. This IVF rollercoaster is hard enough without the added stress of being told one thing but then the clinic doing something else! At least if you decide then you will know exactly what to expect and there will be no hidden surprises. Good luck with it tho!

Karen - I wouldn't worry too much about the dairy stuff - think as long as your diet is balanced that's the main thing. Any news on your friend, has she made contact?

SueQiwi - It makes sense about keeping energy levels steady, when I went to see Zita West (one of the top IVF experts) she said the same thing. Smoothies, almond nuts and raisins to be munched on throughout the day.

Valerie - your cycle counds complicated!! You guys seem to take loads of different drugs whereas this side of the Atlantic we just seem to get one!! When do you start stimming?

Babylove - I understand your thoughts with the get together - it does my head in. Its the looks that you get that do my head in, almost the sympathy look. People don't tend to ask about when I will be having kids (thankfully) but I can tell they are wondering by the looks.

Hoping - spots to add to the stress of the drugs as well - we really give our body grief don't we? At least it is only for a short time and then the hormones will kick in for real when you get your BFP!

JDC, Coco - how's you?

As for me I am hanging on for the end of term at school - everyone is so tired and getting snappy with each other. DH has just got promotion tho, which is good - he is now part of the senior leadership team (more money) so thoat bodes well for when I have to go on maternity leave (do you like my positive thinking?!! )

I have to go for a blood test next week to check how the down reg is going and then I have to wait until Aug 7th before I start stimming. Is anyone going to be on a similar schedule with EC/ET towards the end of Aug?

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your day - catch you later!

Kate

[jharris12]

OK, quick update. I spoke with the woman about the SA, and she said yes, it is only a SA and not SCSA, so the results would be in quickly. They just wouldn't post them on our info line until later. But the embyologist on staff that does the analysis called me and said the DH's sample was not better than last time at ET. He said neither were as good as the initial frozen sample, and that's the one that said we needed ICSI. So although we won't meet with the RE until Tues, from what the dr today said, IVF with ICSI looks like our best option. And I'm good with that! Thanks Valerie & Kate!!! I'm feeling a little better now!

[JDC]

jharris: I'm glad you finally have resolution to your situation. IVF it is! How aggravating though - it is so important to us that we know everything possible is being done and correctly. Uncertainty is so hard to deal with and anything that can be controlled, will be controlled! I'm happy for you though, now you can move on and keep up that PMA girl.

Everyone - I want to address everyone individually, but just don't have the time right now. I'm off to AC in a few.......can't wait. The anticipation is certainly building for those BFP's, and our thread is growing. That is great. What would I do without you guys? Even though I don't really "know" you, this group is such a huge support. You are the only ones who trully understand!

[valerie68]

jharris: I'm glad to see that things are getting sorted out and that you can go ahead with ivf...just like you had planned from the beginning!
Now, you can relax and feel good about your cycle! I think the embryologist was the right person to talk to, they're the ones doing ICSI and dealing with the sperms and oocytes. They know better than anyone.
Perhaps a good massage will make you feel all better...they're having specials for the month of July at several spas here in Miami...sounds really good!

I'm keeping it short because I'm going to start cooking and will catch up after dinner. Tonight's menu: baked sliced eggplants dipped in breadcrumbs, taragon chicken with whole couscous.
And I'm making mango jam, we'll see how that comes out. I'm making it in my bread machine for the first time.

Talk to you later!

Val

[babyloves]

hey everyone.
Falun dafa is a spritual practice that incorporates meditation and gentle exercises, it is much like tai chi from what i've seen on the web. The classes are free of charge usually. My nephew who is interested in alternative things told me about it so i'll go for a session next sat. He makes us "green" smoothies each morning - swiss chard, mangoes, and bananas are mixed up in a blender...it's slightly tasty . I'm looking into yoga also, but wondering if i should do prenatal vs. regular level I/II. My friend who was going thru this with me just had a + beta on her first try - she did acupuncture and has been telling me to have a couple of sessions, at least peri-transfer. Its really expensive tho' $125 for 1st session, then $95 for subsequent. Anyway, has anyone done acupuncture and still have a BFN...does it really work you think? I've heard of bloodstream infections and shoulder septic arthrits (infection in shoulder) stories, so i'm a little wary.. maybe if the 1st cycle doesn't work i'll get it done as 2nd cycle is cheaper with FET (if i have any)

jharris: antagon is the same as ganirelix which is what i'll be taking. it is an antagonist that basically suppresses ovulation
Valerie: that dinner menu sounds really good...you seem to be a gourmet cook...i gotta go do the same now.

[valerie68]

Good evening again!

I'm still working on that jam...it's looking good though.

Kate: I'll be very close to your cycle. Bcp starting around 13/14th of July and stims around the 5th or 6th of August...give or take a couple days. So that sounds great! It's not complicated at all as far as the meds, the Bravelle and Menopur get mixed together.

JDC: You're so sweet! I feel the same, I don't know you girls but it's so important for me to have you and look forward every day to the new posts...I feel your joys, frustrations, sadness, anxieties and expectations!
Did AP go well? I also can't wait to go each time! Just think! those eggs are getting better and better each time...You'll see, you're going to do fabulous!

Karen: It's wonderful to be able to share your story with your other friends although I'm sad for you that your friend has not responded yet> If you feel brave, perhaps a phone call is what she would love to have instead of just the email which is more impersonal. It might make the difference.


Babyloves: That Falun dafa sounds like a lot of fun and very therapeutic. The acupuncture is great and I feel soooo much better than before and truly believe that it will help me a lot. You can get a BFN even with acupuncture but it will be a fantastic help. It is expensive, no doubt about that!
I do love to cook and getting pregnant has kicked it back into high gear. I'm not sure why, perhaps trying to eat even healthier and trying new foods, it's all for the baby and what wouldn't we do for our babies!

I do feel so good lately, so relaxed and centered. I haven't felt like that since my surgery in November. So that's a while! I felt like I had pms all the time which is so not like me.
As DH says: it's good to have my wife back!

Time for me to go. Coco, Rinnie, Babycrazy, Hoping and Sueqiwi: Hope all is well, I'm thinking about all of you.
And jharris, I'm so glad you're staying with us!

I may not know you girls either but I've got all of you pictured in my mind and sometimes I wonder how different you really look from what I've imagined! All I know is that you're all wonderful. Thanks for being there!

Much love,

Val

[baby_crazy]

Greetings, girls!!!

Valerie - thank you for the information. My doctor told me that adenomyosis grows inside uterus walls and doesnt affect fertility. He said it will go away once i have a baby. I've also done some research and it seems my doctor was right. Also the research revealed that usually women between 35 and 50 develop this condition as the estrogen levels become higher.

So far nothing's going on, just waiting for July 15th to start bcp and lupron. We had a super long weekend, it was Canada Day July 1st and it fell on a Tuesday, so we all took vacation on Monday. I used that time to pick up berries and made some jam as well (strawberry, cherry and rhubarb). hmmm yummy.

Cant wait to go back to my clinic. I dont know if it's just me or maybe all of you girls too feel very relaxed when i visit my clinic, i dont even want to leave, i feel like my hope comes back every time i go there. Maybe i should rent a room there during the procedure until i get my pregnancy test done.

Well, girls. I pray for all of you.

[AdsGirl]

Hey ladies - Just crashing your thread for a moment...jharris - I was just catching up on all that you have been going through...I'm so sorry you're being met with such frustrating times! I think about you periodically and am glad to hear you're back on track for your next cycle. Wishing you all the best, jharris!

To all the rest of you - I think it's fantastic that you are all taking control of your IVF cycles so far in advance...already having your network of support growing this far out is wonderful. Praying for BFPs for all of you...good luck!!

[jharris12]

Thanks Ads for crashing!! I've been checking in on you, too. Almost time for your beta!! I'm praying for you! Thanks for the well wishes. Hopefully everything will get back on track to start again, if so, most of my cycle will be in July! Best of luck to you!!

baby_crazy: Sounds like your clinic is more relaxing than mine! I have never really cared for doctor's offices, and that is still what mine is! Not much longer till BCP's!! The homemade jam sounds delicious! And lucky you on the long weekend!

valerie: It isn't set in stone yet because I haven't met with my RE yet, but I can't see how a reversal would be successful. Plus a reversal increases ectopic pregnancy risks to 10%. Thats a big chance! But I will know for certain Tuesday. A massage sounds fantastic. I may have to do that! Oh, and I'm glad I'm staying, too. I've gotten attached to my "second family"!!

babyloves: Thanks for the ganirelix info. The RE didn't really explain what that was for! I also looked into accupuncture, but haven't tried it. Your prices sound like the ones I have found. Let us know what you decide.

JDC: Thank you. I am doing my best to keep up the PMA with all of this uncertainty. It's so much easier to do with the wonderful support of you ladies here!

Quick question: I am on cycle day 30 and AF hasn't shown up yet. Does anyone know if your cycle get longer with IVF? I've been a little crampy, but no real sign it's coming. Just curious. Hopefully she will show up soon so I can start my BCP's!! Baby dust to you all!!

[bell-02]

Hello,
I'd like to join your thread if I may. I've been over on the June/July thread but we just got our BFN this past Tuesday. My clinic says we can try again in August and right now, if AF comes by this Sunday we are shooting for a transfer on August 21. We have 9 frosties and my dr. said half are of good quality so we should get 2 good ones for our next transfer.

I've gone back and read through all the posts on this thread so I already feel like I kind of know all of you. You guys have such great positive energy and that's definitely what I need right now.